Nepal

Key Developments

» Political in-fighting fosters anti-press violence.

» Maoists seek amnesty for civil war crimes, codifying impunity.

Anti-media attacks and harassment flourished in a power
vacuum left by the ruling coalition's political struggles. Baburam Bhattarai of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
became prime minister in August, securing
support with his proposal to offer amnesty for war
crimes, including journalist murders. Four
assailants were convicted in two
separate journalist slayings, but masterminds
remained unpunished as authorities struggled to address the nation's entrenched culture of impunity. Of several assaults on journalists, at least one caused life-threatening injuries. Journalists received threats nationwide for their reporting, many from politicians
or political youth groups. Assailants targeted
at least six newspaper offices and burned hundreds of newspapers to limit distribution.

The Constituent Assembly was tasked in 2008 with drafting a constitution and an electoral system for
the new democratic republic. But the assembly has
foundered, and successive leaders have failed to secure cross-coalition support.

A revolving government door:

3

Information and communications ministers in 2011.

4

Extensions granted to the Constituent Assembly after it was supposed to finish its work in 2010.

17

Rounds of parliamentary votes needed to elect Jhalanath Khanal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) as
prime minister in February. The subsequent election
of Bhattarai came more easily, taking just one
vote.

Local courts sentenced four individuals to life
imprisonment for the unrelated murders of Birendra Shah and Uma
Singh. In both cases, though, masterminds evaded detention and trial.

A persistent record of impunity:6: Journalists murdered since 2002.4: Cases in which no convictions have been won.2: Cases in which assailants have been convicted.0: Cases in which masterminds have been convicted.

In 2007, armed men abducted Prakash Singh Thakuri, a Kanchanpur district
freelancer, in retaliation for perceived pro-monarchy reporting. Many press advocates presume him to have been killed. Maoists in
government blocked investigations of three youth cadres,
according to the local press freedom group Freedom Forum.

A case on and off track:2006: The Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended the civil war. 2007: Thakuri was abducted. His wife, Janaki,
filed a report with Kanchanpur police.2009: TheMaoist-led government directed authorities to drop the case, saying
the peace agreement precluded prosecution,
according to Freedom Forum. 2011: Nepal's Supreme Court overturned the decision, and a Kanchanpur court reinstated the case.

Youth members of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) assaultedNagarik journalist Khilanath Dhakal in June in reprisal for his
coverage of political violence, news reports said. The
assailants broke Dhakal's nose in multiple places. The newspaper itself faced retaliation for its reporting.

A newspaper under attack:

175

Copies of Nagarik and sister paper Republica burned by a CPN-UML youth group on
June 11.

1

Public threat issued by a CPN-UML youth chairman. On August 13, the youth chairman demanded that Nagarik be closed and its editor
jailed.